Some Things Never Change: Episodes
by Ames78
Summary: This is a sequel-of-sorts to my other Blis fic, Some Things Never Change. It will consist of stand-alone episodes of various moments in the lives of the characters from STNC. I encourage you to read that story first, so it will all make sense – but you certainly don't need to.
1. Chapter 1

Author: Ames  
>Title: Some Things Never Change: Episodes<p>

Pairing: Doris/Blake; Olivia/Natalia  
>Rating: NC-17<br>Summary: This is a sequel-of-sorts to my other Blis fic, _Some Things Never Change_. It will consist of stand-alone episodes of various moments in the lives of the characters from STNC. I encourage you to read that story first, so it will all make sense – but you certainly don't have to.

* * *

><p><strong>I Saw Mommy Kissing…<strong>

Ashlee Wolfe practically skipped through the lobby of the Beacon, humming holiday tunes along the way. Christmas had always been her favorite time of year and she was delighted that the hotel was hosting a Winter Extravaganza to benefit New Horizons, the women's shelter run by Yvonne Harrison, her boyfriend's mother. It was all Natalia's idea: deck one of the smaller ballrooms out in Christmas trimmings from top to bottom; charge a reasonable admission price for families to come and see Santa's workshop, ride a small indoor train or have their photos taken; and then give all the profits to New Horizons.

Using her staff keycard, Ashlee let herself into the break room behind the front desk so that she could double-check the schedule of activities. Earlier that day, Santa and his wife Mrs. Claus had been posing with children for photographs in the ballroom, but in about an hour or so they would be taking the festivities outside where Santa would light the enormous Christmas tree set up in the front courtyard of the Beacon.

"Hi Maria," Ashlee greeted the custodial supervisor warmly. "Busy day?"

"Ashlee dear, you would not believe me if I told you. It's a wonderful thing the Mrs. Spencers are doing, but everyone is exhausted. So many children! It sounds terrible, but I'm glad this is the last day and that you are here to take over the evening shift," she laughed.

"Oh, I know what you mean, Maria," Ashlee agreed. "It _has_ been a lot, but I've really enjoyed it. Particularly when the children from New Horizons came yesterday to see the workshop! Those kids have been through so much…it's nice to see them relax and just be kids for a little while. And tonight, with the tree lighting! It's going to be amazing…"

"You're a good girl," Maria smiled, patting Ashlee's shoulder. "I have a message from Ms. Natalia before I head out. They need another box of elf hats, but she can't find them. I'm thinking maybe up in the Santa suite? I meant to check but I just ran out of time…"

Maria was referring to a suite on the third floor where they were temporarily housing costumes, decorations and other random things for the Winter Extravaganza. It was a suite that the hotel rarely used for guests because of its awkward layout and had been converted into a makeshift storage space that they rarely accessed.

"Don't worry about it, Maria. I'll check now. Go home to your family – see you tomorrow!"

Hearing laughter coming from inside the Santa suite, Ashlee let herself into the room very quietly. She didn't want to interrupt anything even though she wasn't really sure who could be inside given that so few of the staff had access to this room. In the entryway, she realized that the noises she'd overheard were more than just laughter.

"Oh my god…that feels so good…." a woman's voice cried out.

_Ohmygodohmygodohmygod_, Ashlee's mind raced with a combination of surprise and despair. _Those are sex noises!_

"Just like that…just like that…." The voice panted enthusiastically.

In her panic, Ashlee found herself rooted in place, unable to move. _That voice! It sounds so…familiar. _

"Yessss," the woman hissed. "Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me…"

Ashlee's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she realized the voice belonged to Blake. Blake Marler. Her mother's fiancé.

"You feel so good inside me," Blake whimpered.

Turning to leave, Ashlee was struck by the image that appeared in the entryway mirror. Blake was on her back – naked – near the top of the bed with someone on top of her, thrusting away with wild abandon. Ashlee shook her head, trying to make sure she was seeing what she thought she was seeing: red suit, black belt and boots, fuzzy hat with a snowball on the tip. It was definitely who she thought it was…

Nearly faint with alarm, Ashlee quickly exited the suite, pausing outside just long enough to gulp down a few deep breaths to keep herself from tipping over. She couldn't believe what was happening. Blake Marler was cheating on her mother…with Santa Claus.

* * *

><p>The elf hats forgotten, Ashlee spent the next hour of her shift wandering around the Beacon in a daze. She knew that she had responsibilities to tend to but she just couldn't get that terrible image of Blake and Santa out of her head. The redhead had <em>definitely <em>been enjoying herself: breasts heaving, eyes closed in pleasure as the headboard bounced against the wall with every thrust. Ashlee shook her head, willing away the tears. She knew her mother would be devastated – she and Blake had only just gotten engaged the week before!

Ashlee purposely avoided the break room that evening so she wouldn't be tempted to check the schedule. She wasn't sure she wanted to know who was playing Santa that day. _Thank god it's not Josh_, Ashlee thought to herself. The handsome foreman had played Santa the day before, so she knew it couldn't be him. _So who is it?_ she wondered miserably.

Just then, Ashlee received an alert on her pager to report to Olivia's suite ASAP, so she quickly made her way to the elevators, knowing that for Olivia, ASAP meant yesterday.

After knocking gently, Ashlee waited for her boss's permission to enter. When she did so, the young blonde was gripped by another moment of panic and dread. From the entryway she could see Olivia sitting on the bed, wearing a Santa Claus suit.

The hotelier greeted her without looking up as she was in the process of lacing up her boots. "Hey, Ashlee. I want you with me for the tree lighting tonight."

"Uh…" Ashlee sputtered, still in shock.

"When I've got this wig/hat/beard thing on, I can barely see straight." Olivia stood up to check herself in the mirror.

"Wha…" Ashlee continued to stutter.

"We need to go soon. Sorry I'm running behind schedule a little. Natalia and I had a…well, we had a meeting here in the suite that ran a little late." If Olivia was the type of woman to blush, she'd be blushing.

Just then, Natalia entered the room from the en suite bath, wrapped in a terrycloth robe. She looked very surprised to see Ashlee there. "Oh! Hi Ashlee! I, um, spilt something on my blouse so I…just took a quick shower. Yes. So…I'm just going to hop back in the bathroom now, ok? I'll be down in a few for the tree-lighting ceremony!" Natalia practically squealed before jumping back into the bathroom.

Olivia and Ashlee just looked at each other as Olivia straightened her Santa hat in the mirror. "What can I say? Chicks dig a uniform…" she admitted casually, with a wink.

As the two of them rushed down to the courtyard for the tree-lighting ceremony, Ashlee vacillated back and forth as to what to do. On one hand, she was enraged at Olivia for being a cad and a womanizer who would cheat on Natalia _and _lure Blake away from her best friend! On the other hand, Olivia was her boss, had taught her so much, managed to find her a job in California for next year while Marcus was in law school at Stanford and…and, she was kind of terrifying, if Ashlee was being honest.

While Olivia did some last minute prep in the staging area, Ashlee screwed up her courage. "Olivia? I need to talk to you…"

"Don't let me forget to thank your mother for helping out this morning," Olivia interrupted her, while pulling on her white Santa gloves.

"Speaking of my mother…wait, thank her for what?" Ashlee asked in confusion.

"I had a conference call, so she and Blake volunteered to play Mr. and Mrs. Claus this morning for the kiddies. I didn't think she'd do it, so I had Blake ask instead and that did the trick!" Olivia crowed with a leer. "It's like I said, chicks dig a uniform…"

"Oh!" Ashlee exclaimed in relief, realizing the Santa she'd seen fooling around with Blake was…her mother. "Ewwwwwwwwwww…." she murmured under her breath over and over as she and Santa Olivia entered the courtyard to thunderous applause.

* * *

><p>Blake and Santa Doris lay back on the bed in the Santa suite, exhausted.<p>

"Should I be worried that this outfit gets you so hot?" Doris mumbled hazily, still catching her breath.

"Oh please," Blake laughed, stroking her fiancée's cheek. "You _knew_ it would. Why else would you bring _that _with you when I asked you to volunteer this morning?!" she asked, gesturing at the harness and shiny black dildo that lay discarded on the floor next to the bed.

"Fair point," Doris chuckled. "Are you sure no one's going to interrupt us in here?"

"Definitely," Blake purred, rolling on top of Santa, who was still in her uniform. The soft fuzzy cotton of the suit felt amazing against her bare skin. "Maria said this room is only for storage and only a few select members have the key. I told her we were just going to use it to change. Besides, I put the latch on…"

"Are you sure?" Doris asked heatedly as Blake began to yank on her trousers.

"Pretty sure," Blake teased, leaning down to place a delicate kiss on her lover's navel. "So what's it going to be, Santa?"

"Hm?" Doris gripped the edges of the bed, her eyes clamping shut when she felt Blake's hot, wet tongue stroking her inner thighs.

"Naughty…or nice?" Blake grinned, before taking Doris into her mouth.

"Oh god…" Santa moaned. "We're gonna to need to burn this suit."


	2. Chapter 2

Author: Ames  
>Title: Some Things Never Change: Episodes<p>

Pairing: Doris/Blake; Olivia/Natalia  
>Rating: NC-17<br>Summary: This is a sequel-of-sorts to my other Blis fic, _Some Things Never Change_. It will consist of stand-alone episodes of various moments in the lives of the characters from STNC. I encourage you to read that story first, so it will all make sense – but you certainly don't have to.

* * *

><p><strong>Writer's Block (aka, Doris Writes a PWP)<strong>

"I don't think I get it," Doris confessed. She lay on her stomach with her head pillowed on her arms, wrapped only in a sheet while Blake sat next to her in the bed, typing away on her laptop.

The downside of rotating between their houses was that they were never entirely sure where any of their clothes might be at any given point in time. Thus, Blake had run out of sleepwear at Wolfe Manor and was wearing one of the DA's pinstripe pajama tops instead of her usual silk or satin. Doris eyed her fiancée appreciatively – she certainly didn't mind the wardrobe change. _Blake would look amazing in a potato sack_, she thought idly, resisting the urge to fling the laptop out the window and get down to business.

"So," Blake explained, "_Dorian's Quest_ was successful enough that I've decided to write a sequel. It's time for Princess Blair and our brave knight to go on another adventure, and I thought you might like to help me work on the plot this time, instead of just consulting on the more…_romantic_ scenes." The redhead paused, taking a moment to appreciate the toned softness of Doris's back and shoulders.

"Plot? What's wrong with having them in bed the whole time?" Doris teased.

"Well, you can't just start a scene with the characters already in bed," Blake argued. "Readers want backstory! They need an opportunity to get invested in the characters – some kind of conflict or challenge…"

"But they already know the characters, don't they?" Doris asked.

"Some might, but some might not – or they might need a reminder."

"Is it really that complicated? Didn't you tell me yourself that you write the kind of stories that people read one-handed?" Doris waggled her eyebrows suggestively and reached over to gently pinch Blake's hip.

"I did say that," Blake grinned.

"_Yeah_ you did," Doris nodded. "So why don't we give them what they want? Cut right to the good stuff…"

"Okay, okay," Blake held up her hands in surrender. "Let's start with _your_ strengths," she teased, "and then maybe the plot can evolve as we work through the more intimate details?"

"Sure," Doris agreed.

"So, they're in bed or on some other cushiony surface – doesn't have to be a bed, technically. But, where are they? How did they get to this particular point in the story?"

"Does it matter? We could say anything…"

"It does matter, actually" Blake insisted. "A good writer friend of mine likes to paraphrase Steinbeck: 'real life doesn't have to make sense, but fiction does.'"

"Well…" Doris twitched her lips, thinking. "They got engaged at the end of the last story, right?"

"Right."

"Then let's have them be on their honeymoon."

"Well, we can't do that yet…" Blake made a face.

"Why?"

"Because they need to be kept apart for some reason before they get married."

"Why?" Doris asked again.

"It's called angst. Readers _love_ angst. It has to seem like there's a possibility that Princess Blair and Dorian won't be able to get together."

"But don't the readers _want_ them to get together?"

"Yes, definitely." Blake nodded her head.

"But they also want them to be kept apart?"

"Yes, definitely," Blake repeated. "It makes it _much _hotter when they actually do get together – just trust me," she added when Doris looked back at her suspiciously.

"Okay," Doris said, thinking. "So, this scene is at the beginning of the second book. They are engaged. Where does the princess live?"

"In the castle," Blake answered patiently.

"And Dorian…is she shacked up there too?"

"Probably not. Blair's family is pretty traditional and even though the King approves of the union because Dorian saved his daughter's life, he'd probably insist that they sleep apart until the marriage."

"Well, there you go!" Doris crowed.

"What?"

Doris propped her head up in one hand, suddenly more invested in the conversation. "Dorian sneaks into the castle at night for a little pre-conjugal visit with Blake, I mean with Blair. That's hot, right?"

"It certainly could be…" Blake encouraged her while typing away on the laptop. "Tell me more…how does she get in?"

"Umm…she scales the castle wall and climbs in the window?"

"Nice…and what about Blair? Is she ready and waiting or…"

"She's asleep! Dorian surprises her so it's kind of…scary, but also exhilarating…" Doris explained enthusiastically.

Blake looked over her reading glasses at Doris with concern. "Are you sure you haven't done this before?"

"You know I haven't," Doris grinned, giving her a wink.

"So…" Blake sighed, blushing under the scrutiny of her fiancée's heated gaze, "what happens next?"

"They have sex!" Doris exclaimed, as if it were obvious.

"Ah ah!" Blake corrected her. "You have to describe it…use your words!"

"I don't know if I…" Doris hesitated.

"Why don't you try acting it out?" Blake suggested.

Doris laughed. "Are you serious? You want me to climb through the window?"

"Just for pretend…trust me, it will help you imagine the words. Think about what Dorian is wearing, what she does with her hands, what she says…readers want details!"

"Okay then," Doris agreed amiably, rising from the bed, wrapping the bedsheet around herself like a toga. "But if I'm going to be Dorian, you have to be Blair."

Blake gave her fiancée knowing smile – she knew where this was going. "Fair enough," she agreed, setting the laptop on the nightstand before lying back on the bed, pretending to be asleep.

"You have to close your eyes!" Doris insisted, before crouching down next to the window.

Blake closed her eyes and willed herself into pretend sleep – she always did her best to inhabit the hearts and minds of her characters.

* * *

><p><em>Blair tossed and turned in her bed linens that night, unable to think or dream of anything but her beloved Dorian. She secretly wished that she hadn't attended the battalion's practice rotation that day. The site of her knight in shining armor, yielding her sword with precision and agility, evading the thrusts of other, lesser warriors…it was enough to make a princess's blood boil. <em>

_Just as she was easing into a restless sleep, Blair was startled awake by the weight of a heavy body on top of hers, a hand clamped over her mouth. She did her best to struggle free, to cry out for help, but the person on top of her was very strong._

_"Blair, my love!" Dorian whispered urgently. "It's me!"_

_What had begun as fright, immediately turned to arousal as Blair's senses took in the familiarity of Dorian's presence: the battle-callused palms of Dorian's hand against her lips; the tangy smell of sweat clinging to knight's brow and neck – evidence of her exertions climbing the castle wall; the gentle weight of Dorian on top of her, their breasts pressed together, Dorian's muscled thigh moving against her now aching center. _

_Blair could barely utter a moan of approval before Dorian's mouth was covering her own. She arched her neck into the kiss, taking the knight's tongue in her mouth with relish. It had been a week since their engagement had been formally announced. Dorian had chivalrously agreed to the King's request that, for the sake of appearances, they retire to separate quarters until the wedding day, but neither of them was enjoying the arrangement. Blair craved her knight's touch and she knew that Dorian felt the same way._

_"Hush…hush…" Dorian soothed to prevent Blair from crying out again. "I have no desire to attract the castle guard's attention. It could be quite embarrassing…"_

_"Nonsense!" Blair corrected her testily. "You know the guardsmen honor and respect you above all. They would never betray you." Allowing her temper to flare, Blair tried to push Dorian away. The knight responded by gripping Blair's wrists and holding them above her head._

_"I gave your father my solemn vow." Dorian insisted gently as Blair's ample bosom heaved up and down against her._

_"And what about your vow to me?" the Princess asked heatedly, thrusting her hips against Dorian's thigh. "How can you abandon me, knowing how greatly I desire you? Gazing upon you today from my private balcony…it was too much." The redhead's eyes glazed over with arousal. "When my attendants left the room, I snuck a hand inside my petticoats…"_

_Dorian used her right hand to hold Blair in place while her left reached inside the bed linens covering her fiancée, finding its way to the wet heat of Blair's maidenhood. She was delighted to feel just how ready the princess was for her touch._

_"I will never leave you," Dorian breathed against Blair's lips as her fingers circled the princess's most delicate folds. "Even when we are apart, I am always with you. Don't you know that?"_

_Blair bit her lip to keep from crying out. She had no desire to be interrupted by the guards, however discreet they might be convinced to be. She had no desire to do anything but be ravaged by her beautiful, brave knight. Digging her feet into the bed, she continued to thrust against Dorian's fingers, breaking free from her restraints to bury her hands in the knight's tousled auburn locks. "By the gods…I never fathomed such wonder…your hands…your sweet, rough hands against me…"_

_The princess knew that if she continued to thrust against Dorian's hand, she would be overtaken by the same tender ecstasy she experienced the first time they were together. In that moment, she thought she would die from the exquisite pleasure of it all. The notion that this was just how things were – how they would always be – with Dorian was a most welcome and joyous surprise. That's why Blair was startled and annoyed when she felt the knight's hand leave her center, crying out in frustration._

_"Ah, but princess," Dorian soothed, pulling the bed linens away to expose her fiancée's nude body. "You deserve more than just the roughness of my hands against you," she teased, placing warm kisses from her fiancée's neck down to her sweet-smelling maidenhood. "You deserve the devotion of my mouth…my lips…my …" she murmured before dipping her tongue into the sweet wetness. _

_If Blair had been alarmed by what Dorian intended to do, her concerns were erased the moment the knight's lips touched the most private recesses of her soul. Her body trembled and tears filled her eyes as Dorian used her mouth to elevate them to a plane of righteousness that Blair never fathomed could have existed. _

_"I love you, Dorian," she cried. "I love you so much…"_

_The sight of her love lying down between her legs, stroking her over and over as their eyes met was too much for the princess to bear. She felt a powerful energy begin to course through her body – her legs and feet, arms and hands, her spine rigid with intense pleasure like a great wave on a turbulent sea. She was overcome, falling backwards on the bed in exhaustion, too weak to even speak as Dorian placed gentle, soothing kisses along her thighs and lower stomach._

* * *

><p>"So? What do you think?" Doris asked, climbing up Blake's body to lie beside her in the bed.<p>

"Um…" Blake cleared her throat to cover the fact that she was still out of breath. "Not bad," she shrugged, trying to play it cool.

"I mean, I tried to think like a knight, right? Dorian's probably used to being in charge – she'd be the one more likely to take control of the situation."

Blake gave her look. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Doris explained, "she's kind of like…the top, right?"

Blake gave her another look. "Don't tell me you believe in those kinds of roles…it's so old-fashioned."

"What?! It's a thing," Doris insisted.

"For some, maybe – but I prefer a much more fluid approach to sexuality. Besides, if Dorian is the top, what does that make Blair? The bottom? A pillow queen?"

"Pillow _princess,_" Doris corrected her, trying not to smirk. She knew the redhead loved a challenge and was happy to egg her on a little.

"Oh, the _hell _she is," Blake exclaimed, climbing on top of Dorian, er Doris. "I'll show you a pillow queen," she growled, reaching between the two of them to deftly fill her knight with two fingers, thrusting in and out as she bit down on Doris's neck.

"Oh god," Doris moaned happily in surprise and pleasure. This whole writing thing was starting to grow on her. "I love you, princess."

The plot suddenly forgotten, Doris and Blake enthusiastically commenced with the best part of any love story.

* * *

><p>THE END (Until the next chapter, lol)<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Author: Ames  
>Title: Some Things Never Change: Episodes<p>

Pairing: Doris/Blake; Olivia/Natalia  
>Rating: NC-17<br>Summary: This is a sequel-of-sorts to my other Blis fic, _Some Things Never Change_. It will consist of stand-alone episodes of various moments in the lives of the characters from STNC. I encourage you to read that story first, so it will all make sense – but you certainly don't have to.

* * *

><p>All I Want for Christmas Is You…<p>

Blake quickly made her way into the Starbucks, wrapping her scarf more tightly around her neck. Christmastime in Springfield could be beautiful, but she was starting to get sick of all the snow. Holiday shopping, she found, was a lot less fun when you were in a state of perpetual frostbite and/or hypothermia. She hoped a latte would warm her up long enough to finish her shopping.

Stepping into line, she barely recognized the man standing in front of her. Skinnier than she remembered, with a scraggly beard and sandals in spite of the cold weather.

"Frank?! Is that you?!"

Frank Cooper turned to greet her, smiling gently. "Hello, Blake. How are you?"

"Me? I'm great, but what about you? What have you been up to? I don't think I've seen you since…"

"Since the wedding…well, wasn't much of a wedding, was it?"

"Oh, Frank…" Blake sighed, reaching for his arm. Natalia had run out in the middle of her wedding ceremony to Frank and into Olivia Spencer's arms. Shortly after, he'd left town without word to anyone.

"No need to feel sorry for me," he assured her. "It really was the best thing that could have ever happened. Natalia and I were simply not to be, but that's not all. After she left me, I realized that the world was bigger than Springfield alone and I decided to do some travelling."

"That's wonderful!"

"Yes. First, I just drove around the country, sleeping in my car on the side of the road."

"Oh…" Blake offered hesitantly.

"Then I hitched my way through Mexico."

"Very nice…" Blake enthused, although it didn't sound like much fun to her.

"Eventually, I met a wise man who introduced me to eastern thought. That's how I found my guru. Six months later I was on an ashram in India."

"Amazing…I think that travel is _so_ important . You know, in a few weeks, I'm going to Paris for the first time!"

"With Doris Wolfe?" Frank asked, taking a sip of the tea that had just been handed to him.

"Why, yes! I didn't know you knew – word travels fast! How long have you been back in town?"

"Just a few days. I'm here for Buzz and Marina, of course, and then I'll be on my way again. Christmas is all just so….commercial and fake isn't it? People running around like idiots, buying all these useless tokens, hoping that possessions can fill the endless void in their lives…"

"Um..." Blake began, unsure of what to say.

"Listen, Blake," Frank reached for her hand, "I need to tell you something. Now that my guru has helped me obtain a higher plane of enlightenment, I feel it's my duty to share that wisdom with others."

"Okay…" Blake took a small step back, realizing that the strange smell she'd been noticing was emanating from Frank – something a bit like sour milk.

"I think you're making a big mistake with Doris," he urged.

"Oh? You don't like Paris?" she asked, confused.

"No, I mean…Doris is a dark and poisonous soul. The only gods she prays to are Money and Power. You'd be better off alone than…"

"Listen here, Frank!" Blake angrily pulled her hand from his. "You don't know what you're talking about. Now, I'm sorry that Natalia hurt you…"

"This isn't about Natalia," Frank insisted, shaking his head condescendingly. "This is about Doris Wolfe tricking you into thinking that she's a good person, that she's interested in more than just increasing her personal wealth, controlling you and indulging in the decadent sins of the flesh."

"Oh dear," Blake muttered sadly. "You've lost your mind…"

"Have I?" Frank laughed. "Tell me that I'm wrong. Tell me that her political ambition won't always come first. Tell me she doesn't use you for sexual gratification…"

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Blake muttered sarcastically.

"Don't be duped by any façade she's put on that would suggest otherwise. Trust me…I know her," he spat angrily.

"It's obvious you don't. Thanks for the advice, Frank." Blake accepted her coffee and turned to leave. "But you can shove it up your ass. Merry Christmas!" she called back to him before walking out the door.

* * *

><p>As Blake made her way home that evening, she couldn't help but replay her conversation with Frank over and over in her head. The jerk had been way out of line. Obviously he was still hurting from what happened between him and Natalia, and was projecting his insecurities onto her and Doris.<p>

_Doris is interested in more than just political power and sex_, Blake assured herself.

True, the DA was certainly ambitious. And driven. Blake had never known anyone who spent so much time and energy at work: wheeling and dealing with cops, lawyers, witnesses and defendants with an enthusiasm that bordered on glee. But that was a good thing, right? One of the things that Blake loved most about Doris was her dedication to truth, justice and keeping the streets of their town safe for its citizenry. Even if Doris liked to pretend otherwise, Blake knew in her heart that the DA was deeply devoted to Springfield. Watching her in court was an inspiration – and Doris always made time for Blake, in the end. Weren't they going to Paris after Christmas? The first vacation that the DA had taken in years…

_And so what if we like sex? When did that become such a bad thing?_

Blake thought back to her previous relationships. Although she had loved others, there had never been anything before that resembled the level of passion and physicality she shared with Doris. They craved one another – to a point that was almost primal. Like moths to a flame, they were drawn to one another, ready to burn…

_But that's not all we're about. Is it?_

At home, Blake was greeted by the woman who'd been occupying her thoughts over the last few hours. Doris looked up briefly from the dining room table where documents from her latest case were spread. "Hello, darling. Be with you in just a second."

"No problem," Blake sighed, dropping her purse on the kitchen island.

Doris paused in her work to study the redhead. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," Blake insisted.

"Blake, dear – I've been a prosecutor for over fifteen years so I'm pretty good at telling when someone is lying. Do you want to do this the hard way?" she teased, rising from her chair to embrace the redhead from behind.

"It's silly," Blake assured her, wrapping Doris's arms more tightly around her. "I let someone get under my skin."

"Frank Cooper?" Doris burred into her ear.

Blake turned in surprise. "Yes! How did you know?"

"Got a head's up from Olivia. Seems she crossed paths with him this afternoon," Doris purred, pulling her fiancé closer.

"And?"

"And…he was spouting some nonsense about Christmas and material wealth and the fight between dark and light. He's off his rocker. If he continues to harass people this way, I'm going to have to have SPD intervene. "

"Oh, I'm sure he's harmless. A lot of people feel the same way, I guess," Blake offered softly.

"What way?"

"That people have become too obsessed with material possessions and physical pleasures like food and sex…."

"Yeah…those people are crazy," Doris insisted, returning to the table as if the conversation was over.

"Maybe…" Blake muttered, before turning back to the door. She had a trunk full of presents that needed to be wrapped.

"I'll get them," Doris insisted, as if reading her mind. "I drew you a bath," she checked her watch, "and it should be the perfect temperature now. Go – I'll be up soon."

Lost in thought, Blake made her way upstairs. This wasn't the first time the Doris had drawn her a bath, but it was always a nice surprise. Fragrant oils and rose petals, tea candles on the window sill and her favorite terrycloth robe laid out for her. It wasn't the Four Seasons or even Wolfe Manor for that matter, but it was her own little slice of heaven. Sinking into the water, she felt the cold of the day recede from her body.

A short while later, Doris entered the bathroom in the navy silk robe that Blake always found so striking and went about applying lotion to her long, alabaster legs. "I took the liberty of ordering some Thai delivery. I think dinner in bed is just what the doctor ordered."

Blake considered her fiancé. Even when Doris was obviously busy, she found ways to show Blake how much she cared. "I love you. And you're too good to me," she sighed.

"Impossible. How'd it go today, other than your interaction with Frank?"

"I don't want to jinx anything, but I think we are actually done. Relatives, co-workers, friends…everyone has been accounted for. Everyone but Clarissa, of course! I just have no idea what to…"

"I took care of it," Doris offered casually, reaching for an emery board to fix one of the nails on her left hand.

"What do you mean, you took care of it? How?"

"Tickets to that…oh, what's her name? Taylor Swift! Tickets to that Taylor Swift concert at Madison Square Garden in February."

Blake's jaw dropped. "How did you…"

Doris examined her cuticles in closer detail. "Ashlee said that Clarissa posted something about it on Facebook and that she was sorry she couldn't go."

"That concert has been sold out for weeks!" Blake exclaimed.

Doris looked up in surprise. "I know a guy. Went to law school with his daughter. We were kind of thing, but that's beside the point. I've stayed friendly with the family. 4 tickets, on the ground – I thought she might like to take you or go with her friends…why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm just surprised…and overwhelmed," Blake gushed. "You didn't have to do that." She worried that Doris might be trying to buy Clarissa's affections.

"She's a good kid," Doris reasoned sensibly. "She made the Dean's List this semester and got high marks on her internship over the summer. Besides…I know how much you miss her and how crazy you've been going trying to find her something. I want you to, you know, have the joy of giving her a nice gift."

"It's from us," Blake insisted, her voice constricted with emotion.

"What's going on with you?" Doris asked with concern, taking a seat on the edge of the tub.

"Nothing," Blake assured her. "I told you it was stupid: I let an idiot get under my skin. Frank tried to convince me that our lives revolved around money and possessions…that I had become hypnotized by your power and wealth."

"And?" Doris asked hesitantly. "Sometimes the things that bother us most are the things with a ring of truth."

"I won't lie to you," Blake said, reaching up to stroke Doris's hand where it rested on the lip of the tub. "I love the finer things in life. We both do. Fancy sheets, your BMW, Wolfe Manor – I'll never be one to turn down a luxurious bath and the champagne that I know is waiting for me in the bedroom."

"And if all of that went away? If I lost all my money tomorrow in the stock market?"

"That would never happen – you're too good," Blake assured her. "But if it did…then I'd take care of us, Sweet Cheeks. You know I'm an independent woman," Blake teased warmly.

"What else did Frank have to say?" Doris braced herself on either side of the tub so that she could lean down to nuzzle Blake's neck.

"That we're obsessed with sex," the redhead purred, arching in pleasure.

"Is that a bad thing?" Doris mumbled against Blake's skin.

"It would be…if I didn't know without absolute certainty that we are more than just lovers. That, in addition to your body, I crave your heart and your mind and your soul. And that you feel the same way…"

"Do I?" Doris panted as Blake reached inside of her robe to stroke the tender flesh of her stomach and breasts.

"You sure do. I can see it in the way you look at me…how you care for me and my children…how I know you'd do anything for me…even throw it all away if I asked you to…"

Blake reached up to wrap her hand around Doris's neck, pulling her fiancé, robe and all, into the bath on top of her. Their bodies instantly melded together in the soapy water the way they had done so many times before.

Frank meant well, but he'd gotten things a little mixed up along his own path to enlightenment. You see, _this_ was the true nirvana, though perhaps not the one he'd read about. The peace that comes when you love someone unconditionally, without reserve. A reason to celebrate life amidst all the suffering of human existence. The kind of love that is so intense that it burns away fear and pride and envy. A love that means giving yourself over to someone completely while they do the same, two souls living concordantly as one. Striving for well-being and happiness while the rest of the world basks in the emanating waives of their incandescent glory.

The champagne and the crazy hot sex were just a bonus.

THE END (Until the next chapter, lol)


	4. Chapter 4

Author: Ames  
>Title: Some Things Never Change: Episodes<br>Pairing: Doris/Blake; Olivia/Natalia  
>Rating: NC-17<br>Summary: This is a sequel-of-sorts to my other Blis fic, _Some Things Never Change_. It will consist of stand-alone episodes of various moments in the lives of the characters from STNC. I encourage you to read that story first, so it will all make sense – but you certainly don't have to.

* * *

><p><strong>The Other Woman...<strong>

While they waited for Doris to arrive, Blake regaled Natalia and Olivia with the highlights of her recent trip to France with Doris.

"…and the Moulin Rouge was amazing, I don't care what anyone says about it being a tourist trap. But my absolute favorite was Mont Saint-Michel, if you can believe it. Over a thousand years of history…walking around, you can really feel it – especially in the Abbey. I got goose bumps!"

Natalia had the good manners to at least feign interest in Blake's trip while Olivia gestured frantically for a waitress. The hotelier was starving and had specifically suggested O'Sheas because it was Wing Nite.

"Dear god!" she growled when yet another server passed them by. "Maybe I should just buy this place – that way I could get wings whenever I want."

"Sorry, Blake," Natalia apologized, rubbing Olivia's shoulders. "We've been trying to eat healthy salads for lunch lately, but I'm afraid that leaves _someone_ a little hangry around dinnertime…"

"Oh, don't worry Natalia – I totally understand." Blake gave the brunette a knowing wink while Olivia's head was turned.

Seven months prior, the hotelier had undergone heart surgery. Although her doctors pronounced her fully recovered, Natalia was doing her best to make sure Olivia stayed as healthy as possible so that she would have her wife around for as long as possible. That meant kale smoothies, meditation, limited alcohol and lots and lots of sex because Olivia had read somewhere that lovemaking was the best kind of low-impact aerobic exercise – and Natalia was certainly happy to oblige.

"I hope Doris doesn't mind if we order without her," Olivia declared when a waitress finally came to their table.

"Oh, here she is now!" Blake gave a little wave to her fiancée from across the room and felt her heart flutter irrationally when Doris smiled back.

"I'll give you a few more minutes." The waitress smiled before quickly departing again, leaving Olivia in stunned fury.

Before Doris could make her way to their table, her elbow was snagged by a woman who'd been standing near the bar. Squinting, Blake was surprised to find she didn't recognize the lady in question, which was odd because she thought she knew just about everyone who was anyone in Springfield. And this woman was definitely someone. Olive skin…wavy raven hair pulled back in low chignon…tastefully but expensively dressed…middle-aged…and gorgeous, from what Blake could see.

"Olivia, who is…" Blake's question trailed off when she saw the woman's hands find their way to Doris's hips, pulling the DA forward for an intimate kiss on each cheek.

"Who is who?" Olivia scowled, scavenging a packet of soup crackers from a nearby table.

Natalia elbowed her wife in the ribs to get her attention. "The woman at the bar. With Doris. A cousin, maybe?" she asked hopefully.

Looking around, Olivia finally caught on to what Natalia and Blake were referencing. "Oh. Um…you know, I don't think I know. Maybe a cousin."

"You don't think you know? What does that even mean? Listen, just because you're hungry…"

Blake ignored Olivia and Natalia's bickering. Her eyes were glued to Doris and the mystery woman. Even though Doris had taken a step back after the kiss, the woman kept one hand on her hip while the other moved around, gesticulating enthusiastically. Suddenly, the woman stroked Doris's face, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. Obviously, Doris knew this woman very well. Blake could feel her heart begin to pound as a subtle tension stirred her loins – for her, jealousy was always immediately followed by arousal…especially when it came to Doris. Even though her fiancée wasn't doing anything wrong, Blake had to fight every instinct not to march across the room and pounce on her.

Suddenly, Doris gestured toward their table and both women looked in her direction. Blake made sure she had a big smile on her face as she waved them over. She rose to greet them, kissing Doris on the lips with a level of enthusiasm that surprised them both.

"Hello, darling," she panted breathlessly after pulling away.

"Blake," Doris cleared her throat, "this is Miranda Pompo…an old friend. Miranda, this is Blake and our friends Olivia and Natalia."

"Nice to meet you." Miranda smiled graciously, but Blake could sense something predatory in the way she interacted with Doris. And she didn't like it one bit.

"Miranda is Chair of the Criminal Justice department at Springfield University, where I teach the Crime and Social Policy class. It was Miranda that got us the concert tickets for Clarissa, actually."

"My father's a well-known entertainment lawyer in Chicago and Taylor is one of his clients," Miranda admitted, winking.

"How wonderful – I had no idea!" Blake exclaimed with false brightness. "Thank you so much!"

"Oh, it was my pleasure. There's nothing I wouldn't do for Dori." Miranda reached over to stroke the DA's shoulder, not realizing that Blake was on the verge of decking her.

Olivia and Natalia could only watch silently in fascination and horror at what was transpiring between the three women. Before Natalia could stop herself, her good manners kicked in once again. "Will you join us for dinner, Miranda? We can pull up a chair…" The brunette winced when Olivia purposefully stepped on her foot.

"Unfortunately, I can't stay as I have dinner plans tonight. I just stopped by to celebrate an exoneration with my team…"

"Miranda is a volunteer consultant for the Innocence Project," Doris interjected.

"…and when I bumped into Dori just now I insisted on meeting the woman who finally convinced her to settle down!" Miranda exclaimed dramatically, gesturing at Blake.

"Oh? Finally?" Blake asked pleasantly.

"It's been a real thrill to see her blossom over the last few years into the proud, confident, out woman that I always knew she was destined to be. I only wish I could get her to join the faculty full-time. Even though it would take her away from the courtroom, I know she could be a real inspiration to our students."

Blake looked over at Doris, who was doing her best not to blush. "It's a shame you can't join us, Miranda. Perhaps another time?"

"Of course! It was a pleasure meeting you. Walk me out, Dori?"

Before the DA could respond, Miranda again snagged her by the elbow and dragged her towards the exit. Blake fought the instinct to follow them outside.

"So…" Natalia offered into the silence.

"Yeah…" Olivia countered when Blake didn't say anything.

Five minutes later, Doris sheepishly made her way back to the table. Before she could sit down, Blake grabbed her by the hand, yanking her towards the restrooms. "We'll be back in a minute, ladies."

Doris could only look back at them forlornly like a prisoner of war before she was pulled away, perhaps never to return.

"That's it!" Olivia insisted. "We're getting out of here."

"What?" Natalia asked, alarmed. "We can't leave now!"

"Oh, get real, Natalia! They're not coming back here anytime soon and even if they do they'll be screaming at each other! I'm gonna starve to death!"

From their table, they could see bags of take-out wings lined up on the bar. Taking Natalia's hand, Olivia quickly exchanged one of the bags for two twenties and dragged her wife out of the restaurant.

"But I want to see what happens," Natalia pouted as the door closed behind them.

* * *

><p>"Oh god," Doris moaned as Blake shoved her against the wall of the ladies restroom after bolting the door behind them. Before she knew what was happening, Blake's hand found its way inside her slacks to firmly grip her now throbbing clitoris.<p>

"Are you fucking that woman?" Blake asked heatedly as her other hand reached up to roughly squeeze Doris's breast.

Doris bit her lip in response to the combination of pain and pleasure that her fiancée was administering. "We can't keep doing this in bathrooms," she warned. "It's unseemly." Still, she didn't push Blake away.

"Answer my question," Blake demanded, pinching the DA's nipple between her fingers.

"You know I'm not!" Doris exclaimed.

_KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Someone's trying to get in here," Doris whispered.

"_Have_ you fucked her?" Blake quickened her pace, reaching lower to swirl Doris's growing wetness up and around her pulsing clit until she could feel the DA's knees buckle.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck…" Doris rumbled. She knew she needed to find a way to turn the tables before things got out of hand…and she knew Blake well enough to play her like a finely tuned piano. She leaned forward to whisper hotly in the redhead's ear, "You really want to know?"

Blake whimpered, quickly becoming undone by her own arousal.

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Let me take you home and I'll tell you _all_ about it. Every. Last. Detail." The look in Blake's eyes told Doris she was winning. She quickly grabbed the redhead's hand, pulling it out of her trousers and leading Blake towards the door. "Sorry about that!" she apologized to the woman waiting outside the restroom.

"But what about Olivia and Natalia?" Blake asked as Doris led her out to the car.

"We met about…seven years ago. Ross introduced us, actually. It was at a mixer for the Illinois State Bar Association. Perhaps I just imagined it, but I've always thought that maybe he knew about me, or at least knew I was lonely, and thought Miranda and I would be a good match. If so, he was right. We had drinks, found a quiet corner and talked for a long time. She asked me to consider teaching a few classes at Springfield U."

"Why don't I know her?"

"She lives in Decatur, where she maintains her legal practice, and commutes to Springfield."

Doris lay back on the bed, naked, her hands resting causally behind her head while Blake straddled her hips. The redhead was also naked and held a little pink vibrator against her own sex. She moved it in slow circles while Doris told her story.

Blake leaned back, bracing one hand behind her so that Doris would have a better view. "Did you fuck her that night?"

"No. I sensed that there was… an opportunity there, but we both had professional responsibilities to attend to that night so nothing happened." This wasn't the first time that Doris had watched Blake bring herself to orgasm and she knew it wouldn't be the last. Watching the redhead respond to her voice this way was powerfully erotic.

"When?"

"When what?"

"When did it happen? When did you fuck her?" Blake asked impatiently, thrusting her hips against the toy with abandon. Tell me…" she begged.

"In her office, a few weeks later. She'd asked me to stop by to fill out some paperwork. It was late on a weeknight, so the building was mostly empty. "

"She was waiting for you…" Blake sighed, pulling the vibrator away just slightly so she wouldn't go over the edge.

"Yes," Doris acknowledged.

"Tell me," Blake demanded again.

"We talked again, for a long time. She sat behind her desk and I sat in her guest chair. We had a lot in common…or, more in common than two women might normally have. A passion for law, an ambition that others found threatening sometimes. But there was something more – a tension in the room that I knew we were both feeling…"

* * *

><p><em>"Well, it's late and I should probably let you get back to work," Doris acknowledged, but she made no move to rise from her chair. While mentally she might have recognized the inherent risks of getting involved with a woman like Miranda Pompo, she was having a hard time convincing her raging libido that it was a bad idea. It had been far too long since her last hook-up at Ladies Nite, and Doris wasn't immune to the needs of the flesh.<em>

_"Of course," Miranda agreed, rising from her chair and moving around where to Doris was sitting. She took a seat on the edge of her desk, which forced the hem of her skirt a little higher on her hips – a fact that did not go unnoticed by Doris. Their legs were so close that they almost brushed against each other. "We're happy to have you, Doris. As soon as we spoke at the party, I knew I wanted you…for the position." Miranda laughed at the double entendre before reaching back to release her hair from its low chignon._

_Doris watched in fascination as Miranda shook out her long raven locks. The woman's chest was heaving slightly, her hands were trembling, and Doris knew they were both thinking the same thing. It was only a matter of time before one of them made a move. _

_"Believe me…the pleasure is all mine. Especially since I can see that the dress code is so casual here," she laughed, gesturing at Miranda's feet, which were bare except for her stockings. _

_"After a long day in heels…I couldn't hold out any longer," Miranda panted, bracing her hands on either side of the desk._

_"Maybe I can help you with that," Doris offered quietly, pinning Miranda with a look of absolute intensity. She reached for the woman's left foot and deftly began massaging it with both hands._

_"Mmm…" Miranda moaned quietly. "That feels so good," she cried as Doris's hands deftly stroked her arches. _

_"Believe me, I know what you're feeling." Doris gently placed Miranda's foot on the seat of her chair between her own legs as she massaged higher, up the woman's strained calves...then farther up to her hamstrings, soothing the strained muscles in Miranda's legs._

_"Oh my god," Miranda groaned, gripping the desk harder and arching her pelvis against Doris's probing digits. She was glad she'd worn her thigh high stockings that day instead of pantyhose. _

_"You're ready for me," Doris observed heatedly as her hands moved between Miranda's thighs, which were already slick with arousal._

_"I've thought of nothing else since the night of the party. I've been fantasizing about you…waiting for you to walk in here and claim me. You will, won't you?"_

_Doris didn't bother to answer, finding it was always better to demonstrate. She quickly rose to her feet as her talented fingers encircled Miranda's sex, bringing the woman's cries to a piercing crescendo…._

* * *

><p>"If you keep going like that, you're going to make yourself come," Doris observed as Blake began thrusting more urgently against the toy. "Don't you want to hear the end?"<p>

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," Blake chanted, over and over again. She leaned forward to brace herself against Doris's shoulder, lowering her body until their breasts pressed together, bouncing against the toy between them, her eyes closed in absolute pleasure.

"Come for me," Doris demanded. "Come all over me."

Blake almost choked on her own cries as she climaxed hard, bucking against Doris for a long time as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through her body. Eventually, she collapsed on the bed next to Doris, limp and exhausted.

Sometime later, Blake drifted back into consciousness. Her body was plastered to Doris's side, her head tucked snugly in the DA's shoulder. "I don't know why I get like that," she muttered apologetically.

"Does it matter?" Doris responded quietly, kissing Blake's forehead. "You won't hear any complaints from me…"

"I mean, it's just a surprise. I've never felt this way with anyone before. I mean, I've certainly been jealous. That's part of my nature, obviously. But I've never responded to jealousy this way…"

"What way?" Doris asked, teasing. She loved to hear the words.

"It's like…an overwhelming need…like, I'll explode if I can't have you. It comes on so strong…"

"Hey," Doris soothed. "You're thinking about this too hard. You don't ever have to apologize for wanting me, whatever the reason. Isn't that what you always say to me?"

Blake smiled against the flesh of Doris's shoulder. As powerful as the physical side of their relationship was, the emotional aspect was just as strong. Doris was her home, and her anchor – in a good way.

"So, what happened between you two? Obviously it didn't work out."

"Well, I'm ashamed to say I wasn't interested in committing to her, and she was definitely the marrying kind. Everything was in place for it though. She wanted to raise Ashlee with me and I even had a good relationship with her father, who became a mentor of sorts…"

"Hmm," Blake muttered, trying hard to tamp down the angry side of her jealousy. "So, let me get this straight. She's smart and beautiful, you have a lot in common, she loves your daughter and her father loves you….so what was the problem?" she asked, a little defensively.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"It isn't, as a matter of fact."

Doris reached down to tip Blake's chin upwards until they were looking into each other's eyes.

"She wasn't _you_, Blake."

After a long moment, Blake grinned at the woman she loved. The woman she was going to marry. The woman she was going to spend the rest of her life with. "Oh, _smooth_, Wolfe. _Very _smooth…"

"Did you like that?" Doris chuckled. "I thought you might like that…" Her toned deepened as Blake drifted down her body, finding a comfortable nook between the DA's legs.

"I did. Let me show you just how much…" Blake sighed before taking Doris into her mouth.

* * *

><p>THE END (Until the next chapter, lol)<p> 


End file.
